National Adoption Month

Perhaps you’ve seen the phrase ‘National Adoption Month’ on social media recently promoting the idea of adoption. That is great! We are excited that adoption is getting coverage, we really are! But here at The Archibald Project we want to help people make educated and ethical choices, especially when a vulnerable child’s life is at stake.

Did you know that the idea to promote adoption during the month of November came from the Governor of Massachusetts, Michael Dukakis, in 1976? Wouldn’t you like to have been in the conference room for that decision? Honestly, we wonder who brought the idea to him…his wife? Perhaps someone in his own life was having trouble conceiving and therefore they adopted and it touched Governor Dukakis’ heart? Or perhaps it was a political move? We don’t know the exact reasoning behind the idea, but we do know that National Adoption Month was born out of the Governor initiating a week in Massachusetts in 1976 to bring awareness to children needing homes.

From there, in 1984, Ronald Reagan declared that it would become ‘national’ and so National Adoption Week was instituted. Then in 1995, Bill Clinton broadened it to a whole month! So here we are, in 2015, experiencing the 20th year of National Adoption Month!

And to be honest…we don’t know if we should cry or celebrate…On one hand awareness is being brought to a devastating cause and that is amazing! But on the other hand, the fact that there are children out there who have been abandoned by their birth families…well that is one of the gravest tragedies we know.

But we do know that we want to educate…YOU! On specific things about adoption to help you make the most educated choice possible…and of course we want your choice to be, in the end, to care for orphans in some capacity! Adoption or not, we can all love kids who need families.

So this month, as we honor all the children out there waiting for a forever family, we will be bringing you information and stories to help you navigate through the adoption world, questions to ask yourself to find out if adoption is right for you and your family, how to ensure you are adopting ethically and organizations we trust! So stay tuned!